The present invention relates generally to the field of games and amusement devices, and more particularly to coordinating sound and air flow based on audio signals.
Video games and simulations are enjoyed by adults and children alike, both in the arcade and home environments. Expensive arcade racing or flight simulators can be large enough to fill a whole room. Many arcades have simulators for car racing or flight with full-sized cockpit seats, panoramic screens, and powerful sound systems. Typically, the more senses that are engaged, the more realistic the experience can be for a patron. For example, move and tilt simulators can physically move the user in directions that create the sensation of turning left or right, accelerating or braking. A variety of sensations can be used to create illusions that add a dimension of realism to the simulator. For example, vibrations from a vibration motor can be used to create illusions of driving over bumps or explosions. In the more expensive simulators, multiple senses of simulator patrons are engaged to create realistic experiences.
As stunning graphics, intricate storylines, and new physics engines are gaining popularity in video games, a greater emphasis is being placed on providing realism. In the home environment, video games are often played on video game consoles, or on personal computers. Home video game racing simulators often attempt to provide the illusion of speed using two of the five main senses, namely sight and sound. The display of fast moving landscapes that seem to be coming towards the player and the sound coming from a speaker can create a crude illusion of speed and movement. For example, the motion of turning corners may be created by moving the vanishing point in the graphical display from side to side and adding sound effects such as revving engines and squealing tires. The brain accepts the cues provided by the combined output of the display and speakers, forming a simulation of motion.